iTunes New and Noteworthy Ain't All That

One of the biggest FAQs we get here at Podfly is, “How can I get my podcast in New and Noteworthy?” We get this question quite a lot that it has come to a point where we need to address it.

First, this is not a 'how to' article on how to get on New and Noteworthy. In fact, you are there automatically once your show is submitted and accepted by Apple. There's plenty of places on the web that will give you tips and tricks for that if you still want to believe you need them. The quick overview of those articles will be:

Get lots of downloads in a short period of time + Get lots of subscriptions in a short period of time = Apple will love you and put you on New and Noteworthy. Also, you're in there automatically, but whatevs.

This is an article that questions the New and Noteworthy starry-eyed glamor to it all. Why do we need to be on New and Noteworthy so badly?

Of course, exposure is always a nice thing, but ask yourself what is the true purpose of your show. Are you there to get better leads for your business? Are you there just because you love your hobby? Why are you podcasting? When you answer your why, you'll find out that New and Noteworthy is often not the be-all-end-all path you want to take.

People who get "ranked high" on New and Noteworthy usually already have a strong following. This following is key to your success wherever you go and New and Noteworthy isn't going to make your life better or your following stronger, believe it or not.

In fact, when you "get on" New and Noteworthy, not only is it much, much harder to track who your audience is, but you won't really know who your true, dedicated followers are. It's no secret that when you get on New and Noteworthy you will see a boost in your downloads and views, but how many of those people are really going to benefit from you and benefit your business/hobby? If you're planning on selling something or leading your audience to a special package, those extra downloads could give you bad data.

And there's nothing worse than working with bad data.

For example, if you have a business podcast and plan on selling business courses, what use is it if a retired couple downloads your podcast? Sure, you'll get the downloads, but chances are they're not going to spend money or follow you long term.

Again, the key to a successful podcast is through its followers. Lots of followers might sound great and spectacular, but if they're not dedicated to you, if they're just passing by; which they will be if they download your podcast through New and Noteworthy; then they're not benefiting you or you to them. Take a step back and really ask yourself why you want a bunch of random eyes with no connection to you seeing your podcast?

Let's break it down further as to what happens when you get incorrect data:

You risk alienating your true following.

You risk marketing your business on a completely wrong demographic.

You risk wasting time trying to find who your 'real' buyers are.

What should you do instead?

Instead of having such a strong focus and desire to get on New and Noteworthy, take a step back and see who your audience is. What do they like? What are some of the problems they're facing? Expand on that. Work strongly on the content that you produce and focus on better serving the people who care about you. We attract like-minded people, so people who have similar tastes as you will more than likely know people who will like your show too. Word of mouth is still the strongest marketing there is and you are more likely going to get a better quality follower from this method as well.

Podfly:

Podfly is an audio production company with professional audio engineers working around the clock to deliver fantastic sounding podcasts. Podfly not only provides great intros, outros, and helps you with your audio equipment, but we also take care of show notes, transcripts, and more. Contact ayn@podfly.net for more information or get in touch with us through the contact page.